Mistakes People Make When Selling

28 Jun 2010 Brian Brady 0 Comment

What are some of the cardinal sins when it comes to selling a house as stress free as possible? I came across an article on realestate.com.au that sums them up pretty nicely. So if you are having bad luck selling your home consider the below points:

The Price isn’t Right
Putting a dollar value on your house can be a difficult prospect – particularly when your home contains so many happy memories. Sellers can also fall into the trap of expecting what the price 'should' be – that is, providing a significant return on the original purchase price. While property prices in Australia and New Zealand have remained relatively stable in recent times compared to markets overseas, you need to keep a realistic eye on what the market is prepared to offer.

The market is aggressively competitive and pricing your home appropriately will result in a quick and satisfactory sale. If you choose to hold out for more, it is worth spending a bit of time calculating the increased costs associated with this – such as advertising, agent fees, cost of your mortgage and the inconvenience of cleaning up every Saturday morning for inspection.

Making your home snap happy
Utilising good photography to promote your home is a key part of the sales process, with time-poor buyers often researching online before putting in the legwork to attend an open for inspection.

Make sure the photographs taken of your home are top-notch – nothing destroys the romantic fairytale like photos with cutting boards and dishcloths on the kitchen bench, reflections in mirrors and flash glare from the windows.

Spend that bit extra to attract buyers, and you will drive up competition for your sale.

Presentation matters
Unless your buyer is a builder or a seasoned investor, they are unlikely to be able to walk into a home with cracked ceilings and damaged floorboards, and have any idea how much repairs would cost. Make it easy for your buyers – present your house as “ready to move in”, to take away the guesswork and reduce the likelihood of buyers walking away.

Investing in repairs, maintenance and even inspection reports may cost you money in the short-term, but it means you won’t make it to the eleventh hour of negotiations and then lose a buyer you’ve spent valuable time courting.

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Common Selling MistakesHome MarketingSelling a HomeSetting the right price